Broncos prove too good for Wests Tigers

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Wests Tigers have gone 36-0 to the Brisbane Broncos in wet and tough conditions for their clash tonight at Suncorp Stadium.

Having lost both Chris Lawrence and Luke Brooks in the final 24 hours before kickoff, it was always going to be a tough ask for the visitors, who did their best to stay pace with the Broncos early in the contest before a late blowout in the first half ended the contest.

After a tight start from both teams, it was Tautau Moga who eventually broke the dead lock after 15 minutes — backing up on the inside to collect a pass from Corey Oates, with Jordan Kahu converting from close to the posts to give Brisbane an early 6-0 lead.

Brisbane would double their lead shortly after when Anthony Milford found Alex Glenn in space close to the line, with Kahu adding the extras to give the hosts a 12-0 lead.

James Tedesco looked to have put the visitors on the board when he found space back against the grain, but was controversially denied by the Bunker following an obstruction by Tim Grant. That would spark a disastrous five-minute spell for Tedesco, with the fullback throwing an intercept for Kahu before being sin-binned for a professional foul.

Up against 12 men for the final 10 minutes of the first half, Brisbane made swift work of the Wests Tigers’ defence — cutting them open through the middle with two quick tries to Korbin Sims and Kahu to take a commanding 24-0 lead into the half-time break.

After a strong run from Jacob Liddle split the Broncos up the middle, Wests Tigers began the second half on the front foot, but soon found themselves conceding another try as James Roberts and Kodi Nikorima linked up to go the length of the field and score, despite another questionable forward pass going unnoticed by the match officials.

Jordan Kahu converted to take the hosts’ lead out to 30-0 after 47 minutes.

Desperate to make amends for his first half indiscretion, Tedesco burrowed his way over the line after 51 minutes, but was again denied by the officials with a forward pass.

That would allow the Broncos to work the ball down field again, and they soon returned their attacking ways with Nikorima hitting Herman Ese’ese on a flat ball to send him through the line, with the prop linking up with Milford to race around and score.

Play was stopped for an extended period of the time in the second half, with Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough stretchered off after copping a nasty knock to the head.

Once play resumed, it was the visitors who looked likely once again working it down field, before Tedesco was denied a third time by the match officials with 15 minutes remaining in the match — this time ruled to be offside from a kick by David Nofoaluma.

Wests Tigers would battle hard in the final stanza of the match but could not get anything going in attack, and would cop another devastating blow with young gun Josh Aloiai stretchered off the field late in the piece after falling awkwardly in a tackle.

Wests Tigers look to turn tonight’s disappointing result around after the Round 12 bye, when they take on the St. George-Illawarra Dragons at ANZ Stadium on Saturday, June 3.